Marangon says Roma have shown they are stronger than Napoli and praises Gasperini's handling of Lulli

Former Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg has praised Roma's Dutch duo Donyell Malen and Marten de Roon and assessed Mile Svilar's standing among Europe's top goalkeepers. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport at the Amsterdam stop of the EA7 World Legends Padel Tour, the 2011–2013 Roma keeper said he follows all his former clubs. Stekelenburg said: "Seguo tutti i miei ex club anche se non sono un tipo che sta a casa a vedere il calcio, devo dire che ho tante cose da fare." Translated: "I follow all my former clubs, even though I'm not the type who stays at home watching football. I have a lot to do." He was full of praise for the two Dutchmen in Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Stekelenburg said: "Ma de Roon e Malen sono perfetti per la Roma, Donny in particolare ha trovato la sua dimensione ideale. Malen è molto veloce e gioca sempre sul filo del fuorigioco. E devo dire che appena ho saputo che sarebbe andato alla Roma l'ho immaginato con gli assist di Dybala e ho pensato che sarebbero potuti essere una bella coppia. Spero continui così come sta facendo ora, è preziosissimo per la Roma." Translated: "But de Roon and Malen are perfect for Roma. Donny in particular has found his ideal role. Malen is very fast and always plays on the edge of offside. And I have to say, as soon as I heard he was going to Roma, I imagined him with Dybala's assists and thought they could be a good pair. I hope he keeps going the way he is now, he is extremely valuable to Roma." On goal, Svilar is currently unavailable, so Pierluigi Gollini is stepping in as first choice. Stekelenburg said: "Mile sta facendo molto bene, non conosco così tanto Gollini ma penso che possa sostituirlo in questo periodo." Translated: "Mile is doing very well. I don't know Gollini that well, but I think he can stand in for him at this time." Asked whether Svilar could already be counted among Europe's top five goalkeepers, he said: "Se dovessi inserirlo tra i primi cinque… no, non ancora. Dopotutto ci sono Courtois, Neuer e altri. Ma è un ragazzo giovane e sta facendo un ottimo lavoro. Deve solo continuare a crescere." Translated: "If I had to put him in the top five... no, not yet. After all, there are Courtois, Neuer and others. But he is a young lad and doing an excellent job. He just needs to keep growing." The interview also touched on his memories of Luis Enrique, the coach who brought him to Rome fifteen years ago and who now manages Paris Saint-Germain.

Roma are reportedly eyeing a left-sided option, and Giallorossi.net's transfer column "Consigli per gli acquisti" has picked Union Berlin left-back Tom Rothe as its latest profile. The column is looking for a left-footed, athletic, physically robust player who can operate across the full flank in Gian Piero Gasperini's system, and Rothe is presented as fitting that brief. Born on 29 October 2004, Rothe is 21 and a natural left-footer standing 1.93 metres and weighing 85 kilos, which is unusually big for a flank player. He came through at St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund, making his Bundesliga debut for BVB at just 17 and scoring straight away. After a loan spell at Holstein Kiel, where he finished with 4 goals and won promotion to the Bundesliga, Union Berlin bought him in summer 2024 for around 5 million euros. His natural position is left-back, but he can play as a wing-back and could be developed as a left-sided centre-back in a three. The article describes Rothe as more of a physical presence than a typical winger. He is strong in the air, holds his ground in duels and has a long stride, though he is not a pure sprinter, with a top speed of around 31.5 km/h. His main asset is the ability to run the flank continually, carry the attack and offer a physical presence in both phases. The writer argues this mix suits Gasperini's emphasis on one-on-one duels, and that at 21 he has considerable room to grow, so Roma would be buying a player to develop into a starter in the coming years. Rothe is not yet a finished product. He needs to improve the quality of his final pass, the accuracy of his crosses and his attacking one-v-one play. He creates more through physicality, running and runs into the box than through dribbling. He also had a fairly long lay-off between December and March last season. The article finds no pattern that would make him a particularly fragile player, but it is still an aspect to monitor. Union Berlin paid around 5 million euros for him, and his market value is now put at around 10 million euros. Taking into account his age, first-team status and potential, the German club would presumably ask for more, but the deal would still sit within a plausible economic range for Roma. One detail needs checking: when Union signed Rothe, Borussia Dortmund kept a buy-back right. Before any negotiation, it would be necessary to establish whether that clause is still valid and on what terms. The writer concludes that Rothe is not yet ready for a major European club, which is precisely what makes him interesting now. He is 21, left-footed, 1.93 metres tall, a regular in the Bundesliga and part of the Germany Under-21 set-up. Compared with Oosterwolde, he is less explosive but taller and has greater room for growth. The column wants to highlight young, physical players who remain affordable before they become too expensive.

Former Roma striker Ciccio Graziani has said Donyell Malen would be his choice over Højlund, speaking to Romanews.eu on the eve of Napoli-Roma at the Maradona. Asked which of the two he would sign as a sporting director, Graziani said: "Malen without thinking twice. Hojlund I like a lot, and sometimes he seems to me like a 'little Lukaku' the way he runs the attack and the hold-up play he takes, and he also has a great sense of goal; but Malen is my ideal striker, for the way he attacks space, his dribbling, the acceleration he has in the last twenty metres, and because he can roam across the whole front line." The match carries weight for both sides. Graziani noted that a win would mean a fresh start for Napoli after their Champions League success, while for Roma it would mean continuing to push for the top. He said Napoli's recent form had been shaky, pointing to a defeat at Venice that had left them on the brink, before they managed a tricky cup game against Bodø Glimt. He added that this showed the team wanted to bounce back and that its senior players had not given up on Allegri. On Roma, Graziani said: "Both sides risk something, as every time teams of this level meet. Roma are strong thanks to their team identity, which goes beyond the names Gasperini can pick." Asked whether injuries had left Gasperini's squad stretched, Graziani said: "I'm very sorry for Pellegrini, it seemed the injury was less serious. That said, Cristante's return is fundamental, while we wait for Dybala too, then Svilar and Koné in chronological order. Back to the word I used before: identity. Roma have it, and that makes them dangerous even with the forced rotations the coach has to resort to." Graziani also compared the two coaches. He said: "Allegri has a trophy cabinet that speaks for him and a past at the highest level, between scudetti and Champions League finals. Gasperini is someone who shapes teams around his principles of play, and when you have to face him you must be careful both with the collective identity and with the form of each individual, because with him players improve, as we have seen for years. Allegri we could call a 'manager of minds', since he has often governed dressing rooms full of great players; Gasperini instead produces ideas, which the players then turn into performances. It is a clash between two coaches whom the facts speak for."

Roma have named their squad for the Napoli fixture at the Maradona, with the match less than 24 hours away. Gian Piero Gasperini's list was released shortly after Napoli's own squad announcement by Allegri. Paulo Dybala is out, though he hopes to be back in contention against Cagliari. Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Mile Svilar are also unavailable. Bryan Cristante could return to the starting line-up. Two Primavera players feature in the squad. Di Nunzio made his debut against Genoa last weekend, and Mandjou Camara, a 2009-born striker, was already named in the squad for the game against the Rossoblù. The full squad is: goalkeepers Vásquez, De Marzi and Gollini; defenders Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora; and forwards Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The selection gives Gasperini a largely established back line, with Cristante's availability a boost in midfield as Roma travel to face Napoli.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named Roma's squad for the big match against Napoli, the eighth matchday fixture of Serie A, at the Stadio "Diego Armando Maradona". The Roma boss has to contend with several heavy absences through injury and suspension, but he regains valuable midfield options. Bryan Cristante is back in the squad, while Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala are absent. The coach has a pool of defenders to choose from: Balerdi, Ghilardi, Hermoso, Koulierakis, Lulli, Mancini, Molina, N'Dicka, Rensch and Wesley. In midfield, Gasperini can call on Cristante, De Roon, Di Nunzio, Mora and Pisilli. The attacking options are Camara, Castro, Malen and Soulé.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named Roma's squad for tomorrow's Serie A eighth-round match against Napoli at the Stadio Maradona, which kicks off at 18:00. The head coach has named 23 players, and young Camara is among the call-ups. Roma face the match without several key players. Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Manu Koné and Mile Svilar remain out. Bryan Cristante is available again. Camara has been included in the forward group alongside Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé, while Rodrigo Mora has been officially listed among the midfielders. The full squad is as follows. Goalkeepers: Devis Vásquez, Giorgio De Marzi, Pierluigi Gollini. Defenders: Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli, Daniele Ghilardi. Midfielders: Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon, Niccolò Pisilli, Di Nunzio, Rodrigo Mora. Forwards: Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé, Camara.